


Vertigo (The Face of Justice)

by tsun_don_t_you_dere



Category: South Park
Genre: (?), Angst, F/F, F/M, K2 - Freeform, Kinda, Kysterion, M/M, Poor Clyde, South Park: The Fractured But Whole, and ike and karen will be pure, bendy - Freeform, chaos is actually a good villian in this, craig and tweek are superhero boyfriends, creek - Freeform, i think that's the ship name?? oof, idk ike and karen's ship name??, ikaren, karma for cartman, sorry i keep changing the name i just can’t decide on a good title, sp super hero au, strong and badass wendy ftw!!, tfbw - Freeform, the creek will be fluffy but the k2 will be angstyyy, yes i am indeed adding tags
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-18
Updated: 2018-10-24
Packaged: 2019-05-24 19:33:09
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 9
Words: 7,279
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14960798
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tsun_don_t_you_dere/pseuds/tsun_don_t_you_dere
Summary: Mysterion sat perched upon the column, looking down at the city from the building like a gargoyle. Ancient, knowing, aware.“Kyle, we can’t keep doing this.” He always knew, he always somehow knew when Kyle arrived, even with his back turned to him.Kyle crossed his arms, not wanting the hero to know he had been surprised. “Why?”Mysterion turned around and stood up, a good head taller than the other. “It’s dangerous. You’re getting too attached to me, Ky. I’m a nobody, just the face of justice, a stand-in for the wrath against crime. And I lead a reckless life. What if I die, Kyle? What if I die?”Kyle didn’t say it, but they both knew his answer.“It would destroy you. And I can’t let that happen.”





	1. When Heroes Fall

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for taking your time to read this! I've worked really hard on this fic and I'm really excited about it. Enjoy!
> 
> *For clarification, the sections in italics are letters Kyle has received (or that Ike has received)

_Kyle,_

_I don’t know the extent of your involvement with Mysterion, but I suggest you sever any connections with the criminal now. He’s dangerous, Kyle. I know his whole “mission” and everything seems so dazzling and heroic to you, but he’s just a lonely, broke man in a mask beating up some criminals when he knows it’s illegal. He gets in the way of police work and tries to take on everyone and everything at once._

_One man can only do so much, yet he tries to take the weight of the whole world on his shoulders. He’s not in the right mind. No one in the right mind would constantly throw themselves into the middle of such chaos and use themself as a punching bag for bad guys. Yes, he does take the hits for innocent civilians, and that’s a good thing, but that’s such destructive behavior. He can’t go on much longer constantly almost sacrificing himself for minimal costs, and it’s definitely not a good thing for you to help him. He’s an awful influence, dude. Come on, you know better. Where’s my always logical Kyle who won’t believe a single thing not based on fact? The facts are against Mysterion, Ky, and you need to accept that. You’ve let your emotions get the best of you and it’s going to be your downfall if you’re not careful._

_Your friend,_

_Stanley Marsh_

_…………………………………………………………….............................._

_Dear Kyle,_

_It has unfortunately come to my attention that you are not aware of the cause of the recent disappearance of Mysterion. I hate to be the one to break the news to you._

_Three days ago Mysterion was officially pronounced dead._

_He threw himself off a ten story building in an attempt to escape capture from the police, as well as to sacrifice himself in order to save the town. I am aware of your strange… adoration for the ‘hero’, so I thought you might want to know. His body was found ripped to shreds by the passing cars and apparently some rodents as well. The DNA test had no match, so his identity will forever remain a mystery._

_When heroes fall, the ones they protect fall too. Be wary and stay safe, Kyle. Keep an eye out for any others you know who were in Mysterion’s care._

_My condolences to you. I know how much you cared for the masked man._

_His funeral will be next week at 9:00 AM if you’re interested in attending._

_Sincerely,_

_Jimmy Valner_

…………………………………………............................................

_Hey Bubbly!_

_I miss you so much! Are you doing alright? You haven’t sent a letter in a while, and you haven’t been answering my texts with more than a paragraph! I’m worried for my fragile little son! Being a reporter is a dangerous business. If you ever want to come back home and be a lawyer instead, our arms are wide open! Stay away from that McCormick kid, he’s nothing but trouble. You should hang out with that Marsh boy more instead. How’s it with Bebe? You know, she’s such a lovely young lady. You should definitely consider taking her out on a date. She would make a wonderful wife!_

_How’s Ike? Is he doing alright? Oh, how I hate it that he left us too! I still don’t know why he wanted to go with you rather than stay with us! We miss you both. Give him a big hug and a kiss for me, will you? Thank you, darling!_  
  
Anyway, I love you so much! Sending hugs and kisses! Come visit us soon, we miss you!

_Love you so much,_

_Mommy_

……………………………………………......................................................

_I’ve heard you were a close ally to Mysterion. Assuming this is true, you’re most likely devastated by his recent premature demise. I’m offering you a chance to help his cause, to continue his mission for him. If you’re interested, give me a call._

_719-284-1389_

…………………………………...................................................................

                Kenny took a deep breath and rapped his knuckles on the painted wooden door. He stepped back to allow room for the door to open and waited to hear the familiar pitter-patter of footsteps.

                Soon enough, the door swung open and a disheveled redhead stood in its place.

                “Kenneth, what the heck do you want? I have work, you know!” The words _unlike you_ hovered in the air but remained unspoken.

                He tried hard, he tried _so hard_ to keep his voice steady, but it was almost impossible to do so when looking directly into his friend’s eyes. “Kyle, I’m leaving. I think.”

                “What?” Kyle blinked at him, not processing his words. “What do you mean, leaving? I thought you said you didn’t have the money-“

                “Not like that,” Kenny interrupted. “It’s not… that kind of leaving.” Although he felt uninvited, he proceeded to step inside and move closer to the boy.

                “Not like that...” He repeated Kenny’s words, trying to understand. “Kenny, what the hell is going on?”

                Kenny had a hopeless, a melancholy look in his eyes that was painful for Kyle to look at. Kyle ignored how it gnawed at his heart.

                The blonde stepped forward and moved an arm around Kyle, pulling him into a loose embrace.

                “I’m so sorry, Ky, I really am. I don’t want to, but if I don’t…” Kenny’s voice was shaky. He cringed a bit, sensing the tenseness and apathy of the other boy. “Just… Just check in with Karen for me every once in a while, will you?”

                “Uh, why can’t you?” Kyle remained rigid, not responding to the warmth of the embrace at all. After a few moments of silence, he sighed. “Fine, I will. But I can’t give her a bunch of money just because I’m ‘rich’ and she’s ‘unfortunate’.”

                Kenny released him and turned, walking back towards the door with a depressed demeanor. He turned back around right as he was about to leave, holding the doorframe with his hand.

                Kenny had a sad sort of smile on his face, the one of a man who knew too much to bare, who was holding too much to bare. “Thank you, Kyle. Thank you.”

                And with that, Kenny McCormick walked out the door, leaving Kyle in an uncomfortable silence. Kyle never saw Kenny again.

                No one really knew what happened to the McCormick kid after that. No one really cared. They said he was just white trash anyway. Maybe Kyle would have disagreed, being Kenny’s friend, but even Kyle never looked into the poor kid’s disappearance.

Some say he ran away to join the circus. Others say he overdosed on some sort of drug or drunk himself to death. Some even said he drowned himself in Stark’s Pond. But no one really knew. No one really cared. There was no funeral. Well, no official funeral; his sister, Karen, wrote his name on a rock with a sharpie and set it out by his favorite tree. She cried for a while before wiping away the tears and setting a pretty bluebell in front of the makeshift gravestone. Karen visited regularly at first but quickly got too busy to bother visiting such a wasted person.

If only they had known what Kenny had done. He turned the city upside down and set the world on fire. Not on purpose, of course. Ironically, he didn’t survive long enough to even see it.

………………………………………….....................................

               

                “I’d hesitate to call him Atlas, as he held not just the skies and the heavens but the entire universe on his shoulders.”

………………………………………….....................................


	2. Usual gestures

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> whoop, whoop, we got the second chapter all ready! thank you for reading and hope you enjoy! I swear things will start getting more interesting soon if they haven't yet :)) *foreshadowing amirite*

_ Addressed to Ike Broflovski: _

_I’m scared._

_I’m so scared._

_I’m all alone now that Kenny’s dead._

_All I have left is my guardian angel but he seems to have disappeared too. I don’t know what to do._

_Ken gave up everything to give me everything, but now he’s gone and I feel so lost. I should have been kinder, should have said thank you more. He loved me so much, but I never saw that. Not until it was too late._

_No one cares... But me. I don’t even know why I care. Not even Kyle seems to care. He came to visit me to “check in”. I don’t know why. He didn’t seem to be very happy to be there. He asked where Kenny was and when I told him I thought my brother might be dead, he shrugged it off and said “No surprise there”. Are friends supposed to react like that? I thought friends were supposed to love each other, and Kyle did not seem to harbor even an ounce of love for Kenny. Ken loved Kyle so much. He always talked about how wonderful he was. This was not the Kyle he told me about. Not at all._

_I wondered if that was even the Kyle he knew. Was the ‘Kyle’ my brother held so dearly just a facade?_

_I made Ken a grave. It’s not much, but it’s all I could do. I put a bluebell on it because that’s Ken’s favorite flower. He used to say it represents eternal love and gratitude, something he wanted so badly. He wanted someone to love forever that would return the same feelings. He wanted people to start saying thank you more often. Most of all, he wanted me to know how he’d always love me, no matter what. He truly was an amazing brother._

_But now he’s dead, and no one will remember his name._

_And that’s awful._

_Ike, I know you don’t know me very well. I’m sorry. We’re just pen pals. You’re not my psychiatrist. I just need some way to get this all out, to have someone else understand what I’m feeling._

_Hope you have a better day than I did._

_Sincerely,_

_Karen McCormick_

_P.S. I don’t know if you have any siblings, but if you do, tell them how much you love them. Thank them while you still can, because you never know what might happen._

_…………………………………………._

_Hey Ky! ;)_

_I heard you made it big as a reporter! That’s so amazing! Everyone thought you were going to be a lawyer just like your dad. We all knew you’d be great at whatever you did anyway cuz your so smart. Anyway how r u? Is the life of a journalist exciting? Oh and by the way if you’re ever interested in treating me to dinner or something, I’d love that._

_Love,_

_Bebe_

_………………………………_

_JEW-_

_Guess what? Poor boy’s dead! Or at least that’s what I’VE heard. Rumor has it you were the last one to see him. Suspicious, huh? Seems like foul play was involved, doesn’t it, Kal? People are saying he drowned himself in Stark’s Pond because the stress of working so many part-time jobs finally caught up to him- and because he finally realized what a poor, hopeless fuck he was! Hah, serves that white trash right for getting me expelled. All I did was sell fake drugs to the rich kids! I bet he was just trying to suck up to you. I still don’t get why a pitiful waste of space like him liked you so much. You were such a jerk to him! Well, at least you have been recently. You two used to be so sweet and gushy and gay with each other, YUCK. Gag, ew, disgusting. What has gotten into you, Kal? The Jewish genes finally kicking in? HAH! Anyway, while he was poor white trash and a snitch, he still was a decent person. Why’ve you been treating him so bad, huh? You mad cuz the plebs have better morals than you, your highness? You’re so stuck-up. See you in hell._

_Screw you,_

_Eric_

_……………………………………._

_Dear Mr. Broflovski,_

_I don’t want to write this letter, but Ruby’s making me._

_I’m_ sooooo _sorry for doing the thing. You know what I’m talking about. I don’t want to retell the story yet again._

_You’re a decent dude, but get nicer. Especially for that poor McCormick kid. Seriously. I work at City Sushi with him and he’s a really solid guy. He’s super malnourished though. Because he uses all his money and food to take care of his sister. He’s building her a college fund. Kyle, he’s working at least five part-time jobs without a high school degree. Cut your friend some slack._

_Anyway, I’d draw a middle finger to represent my usual gesture, but Ruby won’t let me._

_Bye._

_Craig Tucker_

_P.S. Tell Stan he’s a dirty fucker for me, will you? And that I still hate him with the fiery passion of hell._

_………………………………………_

                “Hey, bubby!” Ike threw open the door, his arms filled with letters. “Get a load of this! The mail finally came! The post office fixed the problem with the wrong address and all. You have a ton of mail, dude!”

                Kyle looked up from his desk, pulling off his glasses and setting them on the table. “Oh, really?”

                Ike nodded excitedly. “Yeah! I got one too!”

                “Interesting.” Kyle stood up and strode over, taking the letters from Ike’s hands. “Wow, this really is a lot.”

                “Yup! Can you read them to me, bubby? I’ll read mine to you!” Kyle’s brother bounced up and down.

                “Sure,” Kyle said. “Why not.”

……………………………………


	3. False Idol or Savior?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> An apology for how weird the formatting on the phone version looks with this fic and for how weird formatting is for this chapter in general. Tried to fix it but nothing really worked oof

                “I can’t believe that actually worked. Nice job, Chaos.” The Coon clapped his clawed hands together in congratulations. The rest of the council gathered before them clapped along.

                Chaos bowed his head in respect. “Aw, gee, thanks. I tried my very best. I thought Mysterion might be weak for the town, so I thought it’d be best to target that.”

                “Very clever. I would promote you, but… Looks like you’re second in command to me, and we wouldn’t want me to give up my position, would we?” The Coon grinned, flashing his slightly sharpened teeth, in the same way he always did when he cheated someone out of something.

                “We would, actually.” Chaos’ usually innocent and beaming face was suddenly cold and dark. “I’ve waited a while, Coon, to finally be the leader. This was the last time I’d let you trick me into doing your dirty work in exchange for nothing.” He took a threatening step towards the Coon, an even more threatening look in his eyes.

                “Oh, cut it out already, Leo! We know you wouldn’t hurt a fly! Well, not directly at least.” The Coon yawned and patted his fat stomach. “I’m hungry. See you suckers later.”

                “No. Your reign has expired, Eric.” The professor furrowed his brows and lightning struck his greedy master.

                The rest of the council gasped in shock, covering their mouths.

                Chaos turned to them, his regular dumb smile returning to his face. “Well, fellas, it looks like I’m in charge now.”

………………………………..

_Dear Officer Token,_

_I know you despise Mysterion, but maybe he’s not all that bad? Look, I know what he’s doing is illegal and dangerous, but the crime rate has seriously gone down a ton since he started helping out… Maybe give him a little grace??? I don’t know, dude... I trust your judgment, but I just think you might want to rethink it a little. No offense!!!_

_Sincerely,_

_Lieutenant Tweak_

_………………………………._

                Ike read the letter addressed to himself from Karen aloud to Kyle. He paused at his brother’s name, suddenly unsure whether he should continue.

                Kyle immediately sensed his discomfort. “What is it? Go on.”

                “Kyle… my pen pal is Kenny’s sister.” He took a deep breath. “And, uh, she knows you, I think. And talks about you… in the letter.”

                Kyle frowned. “Karen, huh? Hm.” He chewed on the end of his pen, feigning disinterest. “Go ahead, keep reading.”

                Ike did so, and felt a part of himself curl up and die inside.

                Kyle, quite frankly, had been an absolute jerk, according to Karen’s letter.

                Both sat in an uncomfortable silence for a bit.

                Ike was the one to finally speak up. “Why didn’t you tell me Kenny died?”

                He sighed and rubbed his forehead. “Look, I didn’t know for sure. I didn’t want to jump to any conclusions.”

                “But he disappeared! Didn’t you care at all? Karen said you didn’t!” Ike stood up, pointing an accusative finger at his brother.

                “Ike, you don’t understand-“

                “Yeah, I do! I understand that you’ve been so involved and absorbed with that stupid vigilante that you’ve closed yourself off to everyone else, especially the one person that would’ve snapped you out of it, the one person who meant most to you!” He clutched the letter from Karen in his hands tightly.

                “Believe me, Mysterion caused nothing of the kind!” Kyle stood up too, raising his voice.

“What happened to you, Kyle?” Ike’s voice suddenly fell, turning soft and melancholy. “What happened to my older brother who took me out to ice cream and asked me about my day? What happened to my older brother who always talked about his best friend Kenny and how kind he was, who didn’t throw everything into a false idol?”

“He’s still here, Ike, I’m still here. Nothing’s changed-“

  “What happened to my older brother who smiled all the time and talked all the time to everyone, who loved his job and loved his life, who wrote to his mother every chance he got without complaint? He’s gone, dead with that dang wannabe super hero and dead with Kenny! Now all that’s left of him is a black hole, a toxic hole that just sucks the life and happiness out of everything around it! Something’s definitely changed, Kyle, and it’s not me, and it wasn’t Kenny!” The younger brother stormed out of the room and up the stairs, slamming the door to close himself off in his room.

Kyle sat back down, putting his head in his hands.

“I messed up. I messed up bad, didn’t I?” he asked no one in particular.

To distract himself from the heaviness in his chest and the guilt weighing down his mind, he decided to start reading the pile of letters in front of him.

………………………………………..

                “The crime rate has spiked since Mysterion’s death, sir. That means he had to be doing _something_ right. Maybe his fear tactics?”

……………………………………….

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had trouble with writing Kyle and Ike's exchange about the letter in this chapter so sorry for how awkwardly it's written
> 
> next chapter is where tweek and craig come in so stay tuned   
> wow im posting each chapter really fast i should probably space it out more lol


	4. A little more than that

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yay, tweek and craig are finally here!!! Get ready for a ride, things are gonna really start taking off
> 
> This is a short chapter so the next one will be kinda long

                The professor paced back and forth across the room. “Where is it?”

                “Where’s what?” the boy in the chair asked, simultaneously tugging at the ropes to test their strength.

                “You know. You definitely know.” He turned on his heel to glare daggers at the hostage.

                “I’m just a dumb old redneck, I don’t know anything,” he said, obviously lying. His eyes were piercing and intelligent, scanning and analyzing the room.

                “A dumb old redneck wouldn’t be able to efficiently take down seven of my fellas.”

                He didn’t reply for a moment, carefully choosing his next words. “That doesn’t mean I know what you’re talking about.”

                “Judging by the way you fought my fellas tooth and nail, you obviously have something to hide, something you don’t want me to know.”

                “Well, then why the hell do you expect me to tell you anything?”

                Chaos stopped pacing, turning his back to the other. “Because if you don’t, we’ll chop off each of your precious little Ruby’s fingers off, one by one, every hour you refuse to speak. Then we’ll go to toes, then limbs if we have to-”

                “How do you know about Ruby?” For the first time, there was visible panic on the hostage’s face.

                “Because I know _you,_ Craig. I know who you are, where you work for a living, who you like, who who you don’t like- All of it.” A grin spread across his face. “So, won’t you tell me, Mr. Mailman, where Mysterion’s body really is?”

……………………………………………………………..

                Kyle sat at his desk, massaging his forehead. He groaned.

                “Dammit, why do I have to choose? It’s either Mysterion, or everyone else…”

……………………………………………………………

                “Fine. We stole it.” Craig grimaced, spitting the words out like they were poison.

                “We? Hate to break it to you, but you’re the only one we’ve managed to catch.” The professor had an uneasy look on his face.

                “Am I now?” Craig grinned as his ropes fell like ribbons to his feet. He stood up, towering a good half a foot over the professor as a wiry blonde boy dropped down from the catwalk down beside him. “You forgot about my super cop boyfriend.”

                The blonde moved close to Craig, a mask covering the top half of his face and his body shrouded by a dark jumpsuit.

                “Aw, hamburgers, not you weird wannabes again! Go home, the era of superheros died with Mysterion. It’s over, take your tight-tights and go home!” Chaos waved his arms in the air.

                The blonde scowled. “My name is Wonderstruck, you prick.” He turned his palms towards Chaos and started to chant under his breath only to be knocked over by a gunshot.

                The professor sighed. “You crusaders really do talk too much. I don’t know how the hell you think you’ll defeat me. I killed Mysterion, for God’s sake, the hero you all worshiped as your god!” He pocketed the gun and rolled his eyes as Craig frantically inspected Tweek's wound. “You’re gonna need a little bit more than that to stop me.”

……………………………………….

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> don't kill me for Tweek's injury pls I swear it has an important place in the story ok
> 
> also writer's block!!! yay!!! im dying


	5. I never want to let you go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the part in italics in this chapter is a flashback, not a letter. Just a heads up  
> And as I said in the last chapter, this one is kinda long (compared to my other chapters at least)
> 
> Sorry for the long wait!!
> 
> ALSO THE FORMATTING IS STILL HELLA WEIRD I HAVE NO IDEA WHY

                Kyle stepped into the thick, black leather bodysuit and slid his arms in before zipping it up. It was sort of tight and it hugged his figure in awkward places, but he didn’t mind. He was just thankful it still fit. It was the costume he made years ago when he was a teen, dreaming of crusading nights to fight crime. Just like Mysterion. He shivered, remembering the first night Mysterion tapped on his window and asked for help. He shook away the memory with a heavy heart, grabbing his belt and quickly fastening it around his waist. He took gray thick pieces and attached them to their respective places; one as a breastplate, one on each shoulder and lower arm, and one on each shin. The whole routine gave him an overwhelming sense of nostalgia.

                He almost drowned in that nostalgia as he took the jet black modular helmet and put it on, flipping down the transparent yellow eye visor.

                He turned around, inspecting himself in the mirror, only to realize he had forgotten the most vital part of the costume.

                The wings.

……………………………………………….

_Mysterion sat perched upon the column, looking down at the city from the building like a gargoyle. Ancient, knowing, aware._

_“Kyle, we can’t keep doing this.” He always knew, he always somehow knew when Kyle arrived, even with his back turned to him._

_Kyle crossed his arms, not wanting the hero to know he had been surprised. “Why?”_

_Mysterion turned around and stood up, a good head taller than the other. “It’s dangerous. You’re getting too attached to me, Ky. I’m a nobody, just the face of justice, a stand-in for the wrath against crime. And I lead a reckless life. What if I die, Kyle? What if I die?”_

_Kyle didn’t say it, but they both knew his answer._

_“It would destroy you. And I can’t let that happen.” There was a deep pain, a longing in the masked man’s voice. It was obvious he had been rehearsing this over and over, trying to find the right words, how to articulate his thoughts without hurting the other.  “I’ve already made a mistake in letting you get this close to me- God, in letting myself get so attached to you- Dude, if someone finds out about us, we’re both screwed…”_

_“Nobody has to find out about us. We’ve kept our meetings a secret for this long, haven’t we?” Kyle tried to sound defiant, confident, strong, but his face was desperate. “Myst, why won’t you tell me who you are?”_

_“Kyle, there are things you can’t understand that I can’t even try to start explaining to you. I won’t be...” Mysterion’s voice cracked and he took a moment to regain his composure. “I won’t be able to say goodbye… if something happens to me. So this is my goodbye. You might get one from someone else in my place, my farewell from my real self, but…”_

_“Please, don’t do this, dude!”_

_  
“Bye, Kyle. Don’t get involved in any of this B.S. any further or… Or I’ll never talk to you again. Stay out of this, so help me! This stuff is verging into dangerous territory. Fuck, dude, I’M scared of where this stuff is going. There are human experiments… I don’t want to even go into detail.” He sighed, covering his face. “Just promise me you’ll stay out of it, ESPECIALLY if something happens to me. Promise.”_

_“I promise. I don’t want to, God, I really don’t want to… But I promise.”_

_“ Even when I’m gone, I’ll keep fighting. Because Mysterion isn’t the man behind the mask. Mysterion is the justice and righteousness the man behind the mask fights for. So when the man behind the mask passes away, he doesn’t really die because justice doesn’t die, the things he fights for doesn’t die. Justice will still keep fighting. Mysterion isn’t a person, he’s the hand of justice. A disposable figure representing a greater meaning.”_

_“I don’t ever want to let you go.” Kyle looked up at the crusader with tears in his eyes, knowing there were tears in his as well._

_He said not a thing, and neither did Kyle._

…………………………………………………………………………….

Clyde flicked the match into the abyss and watched the scorching fire that erupted in response. A short and strangled scream escaped from the hole. It ended as suddenly as it started.

Wearing a gas mask, Clyde turned to face the bolted door. He broke into a fit of spontaneous laughter, his body convulsing. It faded out into coughing until a dark liquid dripped from his mask and he was hunched over. He lifted himself up and stumbled to the door, wiping the liquid from the gas mask with the back of his gloved hands.

                “You’d thought I’d stay away,” he hissed, his voice broken, scratchy, and quiet.

He pulled a bottle of liquid out of his pocket and lined the edges of the bolted door with it. He then pulled out another match and swiped it against the door. Clyde held the flaming match to the edge of the entrance until fire had spread all around the edges. He stepped back, the door exploding outward and missing him by calculated inches.

                Clyde took a bag out from his tattered jacket and bent down to search for something. Pulling out two large, black canisters, he threw the bag outside and stood up. He attached one end of the tube to his mask and the other to the nozzle of a black canister. He secured it in place on his back with straps along with the other canister.

                A man wearing a uniform sprinted around the corner, clutching onto a rifle. He quickly brought it up and pointed it at the figure. He began to shout something, but it was cut off by a knife to the chest, courtesy of Clyde. Clyde jerked the knife out. The man slid to the floor, and he kicked the gun away.

                He trudged down the hallway and finally arrived at the end of the hall. Waiting there was an iron door.

                He grinned and pulled the canister that was not attached to his mask off his back. He unscrewed the nozzle and kicked the canister to the side.

                “The past doesn’t always stay buried,” Clyde growled.

……………………………………………………………………

                Bebe pressed her back against the wall. She hated the feeling of being cornered, of having nowhere to run. But she’d be fine, she knew, because there were plenty of guards. Plus, for all she knew, that horrible monster that used to be Clyde was dead and she was fine.

                Bebe coughed, her mouth feeling dry. “I knew I should’ve brought extra water in here…”

                Her throat almost immediately started burning. “AGH!”

                She clawed at it, coughing up a black liquid.

                Bebe could see it now, the gas in the air. There was no way she’d be able to get out of the room in time. She leaned her head back, coughing more and more.

                BANG. The door shook and Bebe recoiled in fear.

                BANG. Again, the door shook, this time its hinges screeching.

                Bebe screamed, moving as far back from the door as she could.

BANG! The door burst open and in stormed a blurry figure wearing a mask. It stumbled towards Bebe, reaching towards her.

She screamed again, too weak to even try to move.

It got closer and closer, holding out a hand and grabbing Bebe. It removed the mask to reveal a girl. A girl Bebe knew. She put the mask on Bebe and lifted her up over her shoulder. Gasping and coughing in the thick, poisonous air, the woman carried Bebe out.

Before Bebe passed out, the last thing she saw was Clyde, crumpled up on the ground with his mask torn to pieces. His face was horribly disfigured. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thiS cHapTer kiLLeD me wRiTiNg it  
> i hope it's as emotional for everyone reading it as it is for me?? or i've failed my job :,)  
> i love my mans Clyde I'm sorry;;; forgive me


	6. But what if we could save him?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i wrote all of this chapter in a couple of hours (somehow??? idk how) so it might have a few mistakes. i've done my best to read over it and stuff but who knows

                “Tweek, speak to me. C’mon, babe!” Craig shook the limp body of his fiancé frantically.

                Tweek coughed, a bit of blood dribbling down his chin. “Craig?”

                “Oh, thank God. C’mon, I’m gonna get you to a hospital.” Craig stood up, lifting Tweek up bridal-style with him.

                He turned around to walk out of the door only to stop.

                Standing in his path was a dark figure. “He’s going to die in the next ten minutes with a wound like that.”

                Craig’s entire body froze. He recognized that voice. It was one he knew, one he had despised for years. He couldn’t put his finger on who it was, though.

                Out of the darkness stepped the figure. “It’s impossible for a human to survive with a wound like that. But what if I told you we could still save him?” His words echoed throughout the room. Or maybe just in Craig’s head, but his heart was pounding too hard to tell.

                Craig nearly dropped Tweek. “Marsh?”

………………………………………………………………………………

He walked into the coffee shop, searching the room for someone that met the criteria described in the letter. His eyes landed on a nervous, mousy girl with messy brown pigtails and a pink skirt, who was sitting at a table by herself. Ike approached the table, meeting eyes with her.

“Karen?”

                The girl with the brown pigtails nodded, fiddling with the fringe of her green shirt. She then broke eye contact to anxiously scan the room. “It’s me, Ike.”

                Ike grinned widely and sat down across from her. “Awesome.”

                She looked up at Ike shyly, smiling back at him. “So, let’s get started, then.”

………………………………………………………………………………….

                “Dammit! What do we do, Token?”

                Token glared at Cartman. “It’s not ‘we’, you idiot. You forced me here and tied me up.”

                Eric did his trademark whine. “Well Butters decided to play revolution and fucking overthrow me and now I don’t have anyone to push around! I need someone to boss!”

                “Well, I’m sorry, Eric, but that’s just not going to happen. I am not some pushover you can boss around.” Token sighed. “Now, can you please untie me? I have a date with Nichole tonight and I would prefer not to be late.”

                “God _dammit!_ I get it, you have a girlfriend, I don’t. Won’t you shut up about it?” he shrieked, picking up a glass of water and taking a swig.

                “Good lord, you do! Heidi and you have been dating for a year now.”

                “Well, yeah, but not everyone has such a stable fucking relationship as you and Nichole! Gahd, Token!”

                “Cartman, are you okay?” Token sounded genuinely concerned.

                “NO!” he screamed, throwing the glass at the wall. It shattered loudly. “I need to get back at that goddamned Chaos!”

………………………………………………………….

                The funeral was sad and short. The longest part was the Eulogy, which Kyle gave. He wanted to decline, but the girl asking him looked so hopeless and hopeful at the same time that he couldn’t say no.

                Kyle tried not to reveal how close he was to the hero, but that was hard. He tried not to cry, too. He failed. He tried not to show how much he loved the hero, and he was pretty sure he failed that too. Lots of people started crying during it, but he wasn’t sure why. He wasn’t the most heartfelt person and often came across as cold. He didn’t think his speech was that moving, either. He had also realized earlier at the open mic that no one had gotten nearly as close to Mysterion as Kyle had. Why were they crying?  
                Because Mysterion had been inspiring? Because he had saved their lives, perhaps? Or the life of someone they loved? Kyle had no idea, but for some reason, this only made him cry harder.

                He thought about this as he sat perched on a column, just as his hero once had.

                “Mysterion was not just the man behind the mask,” Kyle had said during the eulogy, repeating the hero’s own words. “He was the justice the man behind the mask fought for. So now that that man has passed away, he isn’t really dead because justice never dies. Justice will keep fighting. And we will keep fighting, too.”

He repeated this to himself. “Now it’s my turn to be the face of justice.”

…………………………………………………….

                _[REWIND TO TWO WEEKS EARLIER]_

                He had to make a decision, and he had to make one fast. Fight or flight. Himself or the world.

                It was an easy decision for Mysterion. He sighed, putting his hands behind his head. “Look, I don’t want to hurt anyone-“  
                “Quiet!” Officer Token bellowed, cocking his gun and pointing it at the hero.

                “Shoot,” Mysterion whispered to himself. He squeezed his eyes shut. “Shoot me, please. Quickly.”

                The gun fired, but when Mysterion opened his eyes he didn’t see the familiar sight of crimson seeping through his costume. He looked up to see that damned Chaos drop down to the ground, turning off his jet pack.

                “That bullet almost hit me, officer! You ought to be more careful next time or someone might get hurt,” the professor said, giggling. “Now, if you’ll excuse us, fellas, me and Mystery boy need to have a lil’ chat.”  
                The villain turned to Mysterion and the police who had cornered the hero lowered their weapons. Chaos was not one to aim a gun at.

                “Why thank you, fellas! Anyway, _Mysterion_ ,” Professor Chaos sneered. “I’ve rigged the sewers with bombs.” He lifted up a remote. “Come with me, and we both escape and everyone in the town dies. Or, jump off this building, and everyone lives except you. I won’t detonate it if you’re dead, I swear. I love this town as much as you do. But if you live-“ Chaos put his thumb on the button and frowned. “ _Kaboom._ ”

                How the hell was he going to die and stay dead? Mysterion didn’t know. He’d just have to figure it up when he woke up again- if he ever did.

                He turned around and sprinted toward the edge of the building. He leaped off, flying in the air for a moment- it felt amazing. He thought about Kyle and his old costume and how he could fly, and his heart hurt- and then he looked down, and the vertigo twisted his vision and he was plummeting fifty floors down to the ground. _Kyle_ , he thought, and then he knew only pain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I KEEP STARTING NEW STORY LINES AND NOT ADDING TO THEM AND NOW THERES LIKE FIVE MILLION THINGS GOING ON AND I HAVE SO MANY LOOSE ENDS TO TIE UP WHY DID I DO THIS TO MYSELF HeLp
> 
> anyway :,) hope u enjoyed 
> 
> also 20 kudos?? that's so many to me and i feel so honored thank you guys so much


	7. Let her weep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> An important note- S. Marsh doesn't necessarily stand for Stan Marsh.

                CASE FILE #347: CLYDE DONOVAN  
                Subject has not slept for three days yet shows no signs of exhaustion. Subject has been showing increasing levels of aggression, especially towards a certain person he knew (Bebe Stevens). There is no outlying apparent cause for this and Stevens will not answer my questions regarding it.

                The gas seems to be the cause of his rising aggression, and Mrs. Steven’s connection with the gas chambers suggests why subject #347 is specifically angry towards her.

-S. Marsh

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

                “Ow,” Karen mumbled, yanking her hand back to inspect her finger. A thin ribbon of blood trickled down her finger and she winced. Blood made her feel sick.

                “What’s wrong, Karen?” Ike spun around in his chair, noticing her sudden pause in work.

                “Sewing machine cut my finger.” She sucked on the wound, trying to stop the bleeding, as she willed away the urge to cry.

                “Here, I’ll get a bandage for that. Making these hero costumes are harder than expected, huh.”

                 She nodded as Ike stood up to go get a bandaid. “Thanks, Ike.”

Both suddenly froze as the doorbell rang, a sound both were hoping they wouldn’t hear until a while longer.

                Ike slowly turned around to look at Karen, fear in his eyes. Her eyes were scared as well, wide and alert.

                It rung again, causing them both to jump like startled cats. The ringing was then followed by aggressive knocking.

                Ike grabbed Karen’s arm. “On three, grab the costumes and run upstairs,” he whispered.

                She nodded, eyes still wide. She looked like a deer in the headlights of a ginormous truck.

                He counted to three and Karen grabbed the costumes, sprinting up the stairs and into Kyle’s room. He knocking grew louder as Ike came up behind her. He locked the door behind them and she closed the shutters.

                He handed Karen a kitchen knife. “If push comes to shove, we might need to defend ourselves.”  
                “Okay,” she said, her lip trembling. “W-What about you?”

                He lifted up Kyle’s old baseball bat. “I got this. We should probably change- Shit, the costumes aren’t all the way done… We can just fill in whatever we need with Kyle’s clothes, I guess.”

                She slowly nodded, sniffing and opening Kyle’s closet. Ike walked up behind her, putting a hand on her shoulder. “It’s going to be okay, Karen. I’ll protect you.”

                She turned around, tears streaming down her face. “That’s what h-he said,” she whispered, voice trembling. “That’s what my g-guardian angel said.”

                All he could do was pull Karen close and let her weep.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

                Kyle stared at his phone. _719-284-1389,_ he repeated in his head.

                If he calls the number, he’ll dive headfirst into whatever Mysterion had told him explicitly to stay out of. But on the other hand, Mysterion was dead and now there was no one there to stop whatever mess that was. Plus, Kyle had already basically left everyone else he loved behind for Mysterion. No going back now.

                He finally mustered up enough strength to type in the number, and he crossed his fingers as the line continued to ring.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been feeling kinda down lately and haven't had much motivation to write so I tried to channel my negative feelings through this chapter a bit? There's a really weird dynamic in my family right now and it's really bothering me and I don't really have anyone to confide in about it. Anyway, hope you enjoyed and I'm not being too much of a downer. 
> 
> another short chapter- I'll try to make the next one longer
> 
> also wtf 30 kudos?? that's so many, tysm!!


	8. Just you, me, and the sky. (Part one of dreamscapes)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ahhh i finally updated after like a month of being inactive lskjdflksd
> 
> i decided to do a fluffy (sort of) chapter to give everyone a break from the angst. this chapter tells of when kenny first fell in love with kyle. it will have a second part later! OwO
> 
> oh and gosh i forgot to add, this chapter was inspired by a rp with the amazing luna, idk if you read my fics or not but if u see this ily luna 
> 
> and the song in this is Saturn by Chasing Cars and it's amazing and makes me cry go listen to it immediately

“The sky sure is pretty today,” Kyle mumbled, laying back on the soft, green grass of the field. He kept his eyes upward, staring at the sky. Kenny sat there, watching the wind softly blow through his curls, screaming at himself inside to not reach forward and kiss him. “Isn’t it?”  
  
_Not nearly as pretty as you_ , he thought. It wasn’t even that he had a crush on Kyle, or even that he loved him. He just found him attractive and wouldn’t mind a few one night stands with the boy here and there.  
  
“Yeah, it is.” He stared at Kyle for a moment, wanting to savor the view just a few seconds longer, before laying down next to him in the grass. This hadn’t been what he had expected when Kyle said he wanted to go cow tipping, but Kenny wasn’t complaining.  
  
“You…” Kyle began to say, fumbling with his words as he tried to figure out a way to articulate them. “You ever wonder about, uh, infinity?”  
  
“Infinity?” He was caught rather off-guard by the question. Out of all the things he expected Kyle to say on an outing to a farm, this wasn’t one. “Uh… I guess? Not really.” All he could think of was Buzzlightyear, fist triumphantly in the air, shouting his clarion _“To infinity and beyond!”_  
  
“Well, uh, I heard this song, and I feel if kind of gives you a glance at it. I thought out of all our friend group, you seem like the guy who’d get what I mean most.”  
  
His interest was certainly piqued, though _you seem like the kind of guy_ was an impersonal statement that Kenny didn’t enjoy. “Well, what is it?”  
  
Kyle took in a deep breath before beginning to speak the lyrics. "You taught me the courage of stars before you left.." The words came slowly, flowing off Kyle’s tongue almost hesitantly at first. He wasn’t singing, no, but the cadence of his voice simulated the pattern of the melody. "How light carries on endlessly, even after death. With shortness of breath you explained the infinite... How rare, and beautiful it is, to even exist…” He turned to look at Kenny, his ocean blue eyes wide and filled with wonder. “I couldn't help but ask, for you to say it all again. I tried to write it down, but oh, I could never find a pen. I would give anything to hear, you say it one last time.. That the universe was made, just to be seen by your eyes…"  
  
Kenny turned his head and as their eyes met his breath caught in his throat.  
  
He did catch sight of infinity. _It was Kyle._  
  
Kyle moved closer to Kenny as he continued to speak. "With shortness of breath, I'll explain the infinite.”  
  
Kenny’s heart began to pound and his face began to heat up. What was this? Why did it feel so exciting to have Kyle talk to him like that, to _look_ at him like that?  
  
“…How _rare_ and beautiful, it truly is, that we exist… You-” Kyle stopped talking and tilted his head to the side, a puzzled look on his face. “What’s wrong?”  
  
“Eh?” he croaked. Inside he was panicking. This couldn’t be happening. He didn’t like boys. He didn’t _love_ anyone. He _couldn’t_ love a boy, no. He had sworn against love a many years ago and had no problems with it. Until now.  
  
However much he denied it, lost in the mysterious and infinite stormy sea that was Kyle Broflovski, Kenny finally fell in love.  
  
“ _You’re_ infinity,” Kenny whispered, finger brushing against the collar of the other’s shirt.  
  
Kyle gazed at him, a conflicted and curious look on his face. “I… I need… I need to get going.”  
  
Kenny stared at him a few beats longer, savoring the last fleeting taste of infinity before it slipped through his fingers once again.  
  
                                                                          ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
                                                                         { P A R T  O N E  O F  D R E A M S C A P E S}  
                                                                          `````````````````````````````````  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i am,, so sorry  
> i should have had waaay more content in this chapter than i did because ive been gone so long but hnnng
> 
> my apologies!! hope you enjoyed anyway!!


	9. A certain nosy journalist.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lmao does anyone even read this

                Red tapped her nails on the desk, cautiously watching the figure obscured by the large leather seat, the back of it to her like some villain in a cheesy movie.

                He turned around in his chair to face her. He set his elbows on the table and propped up his head with his hands.

                “You wanted to hire me,” she stated. “Or at least that’s what I was told.”

                 “Yes.” A wide grin spread across his face. “I need you to do a favor for me. There’s a certain nosy journalist that's been sticking his nose where it doesn't belong. Dispose of him.”

                “How, and for how much?” Red leaned back in her own seat, crossing her arms.

                “However you want, as long as you don’t get caught. I'll give you the details on this man later, if you accept, that is.” The man sighed, his beady eyes searching Red for any tell-tale sign of reluctance or unease. She kept the same innocent but crude expression on her face, not batting an eye. “Ten thousand dollars.”

                “Deal. You really want these people dead, don’t you?”

“Enjoy yourself.” He ignored her question and slid an envelope across the table. She picked it up.

They shook hands and the girl in the black dress was gone as fast as she had come.

………………………………………………………….

 

**Author's Note:**

> Once again, thank you so much for reading! Leave kudos if you liked it! Also, constructive criticism and reviews are always welcomed and appreciated!


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